Easton Vice AM £39.99

For 2006 Easton has added a range of Vice AM stems to its Vice DH line-up, with “AM” standing for All Mountain in this application. With a bit more heft to it than most XC stems, it’s unsurprisingly super-stiff and makes for a precise feeling front-end, especially in its oversized guise.
We’re baffled as to why anyone would want a stem of this bulk in the 115mm version, including the many riders who are updating old hardtails to cope with the whims of modern trailbuilders. We’re often accused of preaching “fit a shorter stem” but we’d rather see this range extend down to 70mm as that’s a far more useable reach for the growing army of riders on 6in travel trail bikes.